text:
Think Like a Man (PG-13) ★★½
It's hard to fault Think Like a Man for being pretty much what you'd expect an ensemble romantic comedy based on a dating advice book by Steve Harvey to be. Yes, it is sexist. Yes, the women manipulate the men with advice from Steve. Yes, the men realize how and why they're being manipulated and turn the tables on them by doing exactly what the women want them to do, eventually realizing the women were right all along. As for Harvey, at least one character quotes him, and he even shows up as a show-within-a-movie talking head in cutesy interludes. His book shows up so often, I'm surprised you don't get a free copy with your ticket.
ALTLuckily, an entertaining and diverse cast and some decent patter save the movie from its source material — mostly. Meagan Good plays party girl Mya, who's going 90 days without sex, but is starting to date Zeke (Romany Malco) the player. Jerry Ferrara is serviceable as Jeremy, a nerdy guy with low aspirations whose awesome girlfriend, Kristen (Gabrielle Union), is tired of waiting for him to pop the question. Regina Hall plays Candace, a single mom who is falling for a charming and sensitive mama's boy named Michael (Terrence J). Last but definitely not least, the Oscar-nominated Taraji P. Henson takes on the role of the hardened career woman — as Harvey puts it so charmingly, the woman who is her own man — who's forced to rethink her high standards when she begins seeing a dreamy-eyed cook named Dominic (Michael Ealy). Rounding out the cast is Kevin Hart as Cedric, a guy who is constantly complaining about his soon-to-be ex while loitering in Zeke's sweet pad…and generally being kind of obnoxious. Gary Owen plays their one happily married buddy; in a comedy about romantic dysfunction, it's a thankless task to be the guy who actually wants to go home and cook dinner for his wife. Oh, and Chris Brown appears as Mya's one-night-stand who can't remember her name. And not just the morning after, either — he runs into her several times throughout the movie and manages to screw it up every time.
Chris Brown is a terrible actor. On top of that, the grossness of casting him as a player who pops up to call Mya by the wrong name and remind her over and over again that she slept with a jackass is distasteful at best. The opening shot of the film, lingering on his bare chest as he stretches out in Mya's bed irresponsibly, suggests that the audience should still think he's desirable. He's only been cast for his supposed sex appeal, which, given his history of violence against women, is abhorrent. (The same goes for Charlie Sheen, whose smirking visage makes one want to smash the TV whenever it appears.)
What Think Like a Man does do is successfully portray a diverse group of friends in a way that can appeal to most mainstream audiences. There's enough "guy humor" in here to entertain male moviegoers — especially with Kevin Hart and Turtle from Entourage on hand. And for the ladies, there's romance, little nuggets of truth (Mya's granny panties, for instance), and a cool cast. Think Like a Man tries to distance itself from being pegged strictly for African-American audiences; the writers even make a crack or two about Tyler Perry, which is pretty bold for a movie that features two actresses that have worked with Perry (Union and Henson). The guys joke among themselves about race, and the interracial relationship between Union and Ferrara's character is shown as a total non-issue, neither a point of contention nor as some sort of PC do-goodery. Broadening the scope of the actors we see onscreen and the kinds of roles they have is a good thing, even in an imperfect vehicle. The movie-going public can use a comedy that bucks the race-based marketing system.
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Thousands of children were murdered by the Nazis because they fell short of the Nazi view of what was ideal. On Friday, a hushed audience gathered in Austria's Parliament to watch the world premiere of an opera depicting how the Nazis methodically killed mentally or physically deficient children at a Vienna hospital during World War II.
The killings were part of a greater campaign that led to the deaths of about 75,000 people -- homosexuals, the handicapped, or others the Nazis called "unworthy lives" -- and served as a prelude to the Holocaust.
Austrians played a huge role in these and other atrocities of the era -- nearly 800 children were killed at Vienna's Spiegelgrund psychiatric ward -- and Friday's premiere of the opera "Spiegelgrund" was the latest installment of a national effort to atone for such acts in word and deed.
The timing was picked to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, which will be observed worldwide today, and the performance was streamed live on the Internet for international audiences. But the parliamentary venue was chosen for a particularly Austrian reason: as a reminder of how the country's politicians fomented the atmosphere of intolerance and authoritarianism that allowed Hitler's troops to walk in in 1938, and a determination to not let history repeat itself.
Composer Peter Androsch said his focus on the era was in part born of his own family's history. His great grandfather died in a Nazi concentration camp. Androsch said the fact that that was hidden for generations "says a lot about conditions in totalitarian regimes and should serve as a reminder for me and many others."
At the premiere -- a hauntingly effective hour-long performance -- legislators were joined in the audience by diplomats, Holocaust survivors, former Spiegelgrund patients and other invited guests in an ornate chamber lined with Ionic columns and used for special legislative sessions.
Spiegelgrund survivor Friedrich Zavel was in the audience. He was brought to the clinic in 1940 after being accused of homosexuality. Now 83, he still shudders when he speaks of his ordeals: humiliation, solitary confinement and torture.
The "Wrap Treatment" consisted of orderlies binding a child first in two sheets soaked in ice water, then two dry sheets, followed by waiting for days without food and drink until the body warmth dried the sheets. There also were beatings and injections that either made the child vomit or left him unable to walk for days.
Asked Friday how he felt about the wrongs done to him, Zavel said: "I know neither revenge nor hate."
The opera itself was more of an oratory. Backlit in gloomy purple and red, and accompanied by strings, flute, percussion and a harpsichord, a trio slipped into each other's roles in an allegorical depiction of how all are victims and perpetrators.
Thus a white-coated doctor embodying "The Law" switched from vocalizing about Sparta's doctrine of letting weak newborns die to singing a child's ditty before moving to the role of "Memory" -- singing broken phrases that harken back to the horrific experiences of the victimized children. The two other singers shifted roles accordingly as a narrator dryly recited facts reflecting the atrocities committed.
"On some days, so many children were killed that the orderlies had to pile the little bodies on a wheelbarrow," narrator Karl Sibelius intones in one sequence before reading a letter from a mother addressed to an institute doctor and pleading for the return of her son.
Bass Robert Holzer was "The Law," and sopranos Katerina Beranova and Alexandra Diesterhoeft sang "Memory" and "Children's Song" respectively. All were very solid.
Parliament President Barbara Prammer said the nation could no longer focus only on glorifying its past.
"We can't choose our history," she told The Associated Press.
Thousands of children were murdered by the Nazis because they fell short of the Nazi view of what was ideal. On Friday, a hushed audience gathered in Austria's Parliament to watch the world premiere of an opera depicting how the Nazis methodically killed mentally or physically deficient children at a Vienna hospital during World War II.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
George Nelson
Read More
The George Nelson Story
Considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of American Modernism, George Nelson truly revolutionized modern design. Today, homes across America continue to tell time and illuminate their interiors with George Nelson clocks and bubble lamps, icons of mid-century modern design.
The original clocks and lamps were designed by George Nelson Associates for both the Herman Miller ® Furniture Co. and the Howard Miller Clock Co. from the 1940s until the 1980s. These clocks and lamps were the most famous results of the effort to create home furnishings and accessories that were simple and streamlined, as functional as they were pleasing to look at.
Why We Love George Nelson
As an editor and writer for various architectural forums, George Nelson was eloquent and out-spoken about his modernist design ideals. Nelson believed that the work of a designer should be to better the world because, in his view, nature was already perfect; man only ruined it when he began making things that didn't really follow the rules of nature. His post-war treatise on modern design, Tomorrow's House (which introduced the concepts of the family room and storage walls) didn't approach modern design so much as a style as a series of solutions to the problems of modern 20th century living.
Noteworthy Products From George Nelson
After falling out of favor for a time, Nelson's minimalist designs are back and more popular than ever. George Nelson clocks are being reproduced today by Vitra, including the famous Ball Clock and Starburst Clock, among others.
In His Own Words
"Total design is nothing more or less than a process of relating everything to everything."
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Four months after Delhaize announced it was changing its N.C. and S.C. Blooms into Food Lions, the change is coming to Charlotte.
The Bloom on Park Road is reopening today, Wednesday, as a Food Lion. The other local Blooms will follow suit in the coming weeks. Grand openings and shopping sprees are planned (details to follow).
The Bloom label is still alive and well. Growing in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, Bloom is adding more options, such as a gluten-free center.
What's your opinion? If you loved Bloom, will you go back to Food Lion? What do you think of the company's strategy (and I promise after this, I'll try to stop making every post about a Delhaize company)?
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Park Road Bloom reopens as Food Lion
Four months after Delhaize announced it was changing its N.C. and S.C. Blooms into Food Lions, the change is coming to Charlotte.
49 comments:
- Anonymous said...
Putting lipstick on a pig........
- July 27, 2011 at 7:39 AM
- Anonymous said...
It's a shame that they are converting it to a Food Lion. Bloom projected a much better image. Now the store will be dirty and they'll stick that awful cigarette display in the middle of the cash registers. Harris Teeter on East probably couldn't be happier.
- July 27, 2011 at 7:44 AM
- Anonymous said...
The awful cigarette/baby formula display is front and center - the first thing you see when you walk in. Bloom was a nice store and a viable option to Harris Teeter. Food Lion is a big step down so it's back to the Teeter. Nice job Delhaize.
- July 27, 2011 at 7:58 AM
- Anonymous said...
They changed my Bloom in Harrisburg on Sunday and I hate it! There is a difference, the deli and bread sections are limited and the seafood department is awful. Lowes and Harris Teeter have a new customer in me!
- July 27, 2011 at 8:07 AM
- Anonymous said...
I couldn't agree more! I left Harris Teeter to go to Bloom and now I'll be back at HT. Why couldn't Delhaize leave a good thing alone!
- July 27, 2011 at 8:09 AM
- Anonymous said...
So sad to see Bloom go. I enjoyed the convenience of being able to buy specialty items, such as gluten free cereals and pizza. The manager said they would try to keep some products, but that didn't happen at my store.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:18 AM
- Anonymous said...
Terrible decision. I went in to the one on WT Harris and they told me they no longer will do fresh seafood. WTH? I walked right out. Hello, Harris Teeter. Bloom projected a great image, Food Lion, not so much.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:20 AM
- Anonymous said...
We had the top performing Bloom (off Sugar Creek and Harris) change this last week. It's a big step back and it burns me up that they kept the Bloom brand alive elsewhere. They were the last store that actually ground their own beef in-store. Now it's all done cheaply in a central location. In fact, that's what I think of when I go in Food Lion: "cheap". And not in a good way. I will shop there, but only about 10% as much as I used to.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:25 AM
- Anonymous said...
I shopped Bloom and Harris-Teeter, about 50/50. Food Lion does not compare to HT like Bloom did. Sorry to see the competition to HT leave the area. Will pick up sale items at FL if I know about them, but I do not plan on any regular shopping there.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:27 AM
- Anonymous said...
Thank God! No one wants another sorry Harris Teeter-type place that robs you at the register. We are sick and tired of having an elitist bunch of folks to deal with at our grocery stores. Soocer mom trash with a Ballantyne attitudes pushing carts around while their children run crazy like psychopaths throughout the aisles. Food Lion has great deals and they are a mammoth chain compared to these little Charlotte wanna-be's.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:28 AM
- Anonymous said...
Anything but a Harris Teeter or Trader Joes. Charlotte is one lost little town.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:30 AM
- goodtimepete said...
Went to the old Bloom and "New" Food Lion in Fort Mil yesterday. Gone are the days of having two lanes open at the same time...6 checkout registers, but we can only afford to staff one! I won't be going back.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:32 AM
- Anonymous said...
No one cares if you don't go back. Food Lion will do just fine. Keep your SUV and your whiney elitist children at home in Southpark so we don't have to put up with them.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:35 AM
- Anonymous said...
Love it as it's empty now! Don't know how long it will last now that the fresh-from-college transplants won't step foot in it though.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:35 AM
- Anonymous said...
Maybe when Congress bows to budget pressure and legalizes weed, FoodLion can add that to the entry display.
I know when I think good wholesome produce, it isn't tobacco as the first thing I want to see when I walk in the store.
Back to the cramped aislse of HT!!!
- July 27, 2011 at 8:36 AM
- Anonymous said...
Bloom actually won me over after years of shopping at HT, but after already seeing what Food Lion has turned this place into, I will not be returning. They took away everything I liked about Bloom in the conversion. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Park Rd. location go the way of the former Bi Lo there...closed.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:38 AM
- Anonymous said...
I had started shopping at the Bloom's on Park Rd. as an alternative to H/T. Liked the store and the deli and found prices lower than H/T.
Went back the other day after the change to Food Lion and doubt I will shop there anymore. The deli closed, store totall re-arranged to you couldn't find anything where you were accustomed to.
Looks like they stopped carrying the bread I like, etc., etc.
I think they made a mistake.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:40 AM
- Anonymous said...
It looks like a country store in lizard lick now. What a horrible selection. The only thing good is the cigarette choices, if you smoke. SCrew you Food Lion you lost another customer. Back to East Blvd Harris Teeter.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:47 AM
- Anonymous said...
As it has been said in the past, those who feel like they need to be 'pampered' when they go to shop for groceries, can stay over at the Harris Teeter. Let them charge you over $1-$2 more for almost everything they have. Walk around and talk on your cell phone while your kids annoy the life out of everyone, including the workers. Why should you care? Money and time is no option.
Food Lion and Wal-Mart have better prices on the exact same items and some of us don't go grocery shopping to 'make a trendy statement'.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:49 AM
- Anonymous said...
No, screw the East Blvd. HT. I hate that place and the sorry manager there. Not far from becoming the nightmare that the Central Ave/Plaza Harris Teeter is now.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:51 AM
- Anonymous said...
Sorry, Food Lion and Wal-mart DO NOT have the same selections as Harris Teeter (or Lowe's Food for that matter). I'm not part of the "elite crowd" or whatever you call it. I simply enjoy fresh and variety when it comes to shopping. Bloom had that. Food Lion (and Walmart) do not. Enjoy your endless display of cigarettes, crappy service and budweiser. I am, along with many others, headed back to HT.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:56 AM
- Anonymous said...
Bloom as a brand cannot sustain, as that type of place just does not satisfy the majority of main stream grocery shoppers. Sorry, but neither does Harris Teeter. HT is Charlotte-fixed, and has its main base of customers from a local standpoint. Everyday people, you will find, consistantly shop for groceries at Super Wal-Mart and Food Lion as both are very large and can maintain a cheaper price on almost everything.
Having a store that caters to a very small demographic that wants things to look nice, and feel like a corner market, just does not satisfy the requirements for a successful grocery chain in metro areas.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:56 AM
- Anonymous said...
Do you people not realize that Harris Teeter buys their products from the same vendors as Food Lion? They simply change the appearance or image and make you think you are getting a superior product...........you HT shoppers are a few sandwiches short of a picnic!
- July 27, 2011 at 8:58 AM
- Anonymous said...
You certainly are an elitist if you complain about the way things are displayed in a store. Your Harris Teeter carries the exact same items, including that dreadful Budweiser you are so afraid of. Of course you are very intelligent, because you believe no one must actually purchase Budweiser beer. Good God, there really is no air that escapes from that bubble you have around you down in South Charlotte.
- July 27, 2011 at 8:59 AM
- Anonymous said...
I go to a grocery store to puchase, oddly enough, groceries. I don't go for an "experience". Do they have what I want, at a reasonsble price.
- July 27, 2011 at 9:11 AM
- Anonymous said...
I received my Bloom email this morning with all the specials...they are toying with my emotions. I HATE FOOD LION! FYI I am not an elitist, I don't shop with my kids...I just don't want get my juice in the same aisle as the diapers....
- July 27, 2011 at 9:42 AM
- Anonymous said...
Food Lion most certainly does NOT have the same selection as Harris Teeter. My favorite coffee beans, the olive bar, the amount of FRESH seafood, the deli selection, international foods (and I'm not talking Mexican) and the list could go on.
I have shopped at Food Lion and Wal-Mart for the basics. But I can't find half of what's on my list there and end up going to Harris Teeter ALSO to pick up the rest. That is just annoying and I'd rather spend a few bucks more on my total grocery bill and not have to deal with the hassle.
8:56 - How can you say that an upscale grocery market cannot sustain? Maybe in some neighborhoods, but Dilworth isn't exactly a low income area, you know. Have you seen Whole Foods? Trader Joe's? EarthFare? Publix? Wegmans? Giant Eagle? The list of successful upscale stores with a great variety could go on, and that is what you will find in most major metros - not podunk grocery stores with little selection.
- July 27, 2011 at 9:53 AM
- Anonymous said...
Yeah, Food Lion is not that spectacular when it comes to selection and quality. The bread choices at Food Lion are simply awful. I know that HT is more expensive, but I do shop around at TJ, Costco and Farmers's Market, etc. for better pricing. We are a vegetarian family, so HT (and Bloom) does cater to those of us who look for more options for vegetarian eaters. Plus, I do a fair bit of food preparation at home, and sometimes seek out some specialty items that one simply would not find at Food Lion. That said, if you are cooking latino foods, like tamales, Food Lion has a nice selection. Bloom was a much nicer shopping experience than any Food Lion I have been to, which sometimes can be a nice reprieve from the chaos of the day.
- July 27, 2011 at 9:56 AM
- Anonymous said...
Surprised to see this news, after getting my email from BLOOM, announcing super double coupons on August 1... sorry they can't seem to include Charlotte in their future plans.
I enjoyed making an occasional special trip over there for some items that other stores don't carry -- but I have three Food Lion stores closer to where I live, plus my favorite HT a mile from home. No need to go back to Park Rd!
Anon 8:51 -- the Central Ave HT is getting ready for some major changes. I saw the drawings this morning and, once completed, it will be fantastic.
- July 27, 2011 at 10:08 AM
- Anonymous said...
You can try and change the look of the HT on Central/Plaza all you want, but that won't help the sorry staff they have there, with their non-caring managers and hateful cop. You can't even get a sandwhich without inconveniencing someone. Thanks, but no thanks.
- July 27, 2011 at 10:39 AM
- Anonymous said...
Funny to see the racists come out and slam any place that doesn't cater to 'Dilworth', like the uppity soccer mom said earlier. The person above said that those pampering grocery stores don't cater to MAINSTREAM everyday people, not snobs in Dilworth or Ballantyne who think they own the damn planet.
- July 27, 2011 at 10:41 AM
- Anonymous said...
Anon 8:56 -- I don't understand what you mean when you say, "HT is Charlotte fixed."
The chain ranges from Delaware to Florida, and all states in between.
A major metropolitan area needs a variety of stores available, to serve the variety of people living here. Thank goodness we aren't limited to two small chain stores!
And thank goodness we have places which will carry regional brands as well as national ones -- did you know that Target doesn't have Duke's mayonnaise? I was shocked! :-)
- July 27, 2011 at 10:42 AM
- Anonymous said...
Charlotte-fixed = Charlotte-based. GOT IT?! Harris Teeter is technically headquaretered in Matthews, and there are only 202 stores. Compare that to 1,167 stores that Food Lion currently operates and hopefully you will better understand.
- July 27, 2011 at 10:50 AM
- Anonymous said...
PUBLIX! Please hurry; we have an emergency need in Charlotte for a quality grocer.
- July 27, 2011 at 12:07 PM
- Anonymous said...
Oh yes, publix, and whoever else can offer me and my prestigious family a spa-like experience instead of actual grocery shopping. God help us all.
- July 27, 2011 at 12:44 PM
- Anonymous said...
Anybody who really knows how to cook will avoid Food Lion and it's no fresh food policy. Yeech!
- July 27, 2011 at 12:54 PM
- Anonymous said...
Fresh food policy? Again, you haven't read well. Larger chains go for better prices and that's what people want. If you want pampering and some Southpark fantasy, then good luck.
- July 27, 2011 at 1:17 PM
- Anonymous said...
Nothing at all wrong with Food Lion. Just goes to show you just how full of themselves people in this town really are.
- July 27, 2011 at 1:19 PM
- Anonymous said...
Anon 10:41 - Uppity soccer mom? Hah...I'm a single 31-year old male. I made that comment, though I don't know what was racist about it. I don't even live in Dilworth myself.
This Food Lion is in a high-income neighborhood where most residents will probably prefer to pay a few percent more for an upscale shopping experience with more selection. Bloom had that, Food Lion doesn't - so people will switch to HT.
In neighborhoods like Dilworth, Myers Park, SouthPark, Ballantyne, etc., upscale stores can be sustained because the "mainstream" in these neighborhood is people willing to spend more money for a better experience.
- July 27, 2011 at 1:29 PM
- Anonymous said...
I'll take the Ingles and the farmer's market in West Jefferson or the TJ Maxx of groceries, Aldi's.
- July 27, 2011 at 9:31 PM
- Anonymous said...
I was in there the other day and was horrified by the awful cigarette/formula counter. Why oh why does Food Lion insist on making it difficult to check out? And why, oh why, are they making this change? We had fully converted to Bloom but will be back at the (sigh) Harris Teeter. Maybe we'll get lucky and it will fail and Lowes Foods will take over the spot.
- July 28, 2011 at 9:00 AM
- Anonymous said...
PUBLIX where are you? Their prices, selection, and customer service would put HT & FL out of business within 24 months. Even though I have money to spend, I dont want to blow it on over-priced or medicore food!
- July 29, 2011 at 4:57 AM
- Greg in Atlanta said...
I have recently moved to the Atlanta area and pretty much your only options are Kroger and Publix. One of the things I miss most is shopping at Harris Teeter. The Publix stores are nice as are most of the Kroger stores but NOTHING compares to Harris Teeter. Food Lion is disgusting!! I never went there when I lived in Charlotte. I just can't get over that whole 20/20 thing years ago...but even without that, the ones I have been in are dirty and ghetto. When you walk into a HT, its like a sigh of relief. The customer service is top notch to say the least. The people are helpful and every time I check out, the cashier is genuinely glad that I came. At Food Lion, Shameica is usually concerned with checking her cell phone or looking at her multi-colored nails. This obviously is just my opinion. I have never had a bad experience at HT. Food Lion, Publix and Kroger...yeah, not so much. HT...please come back to Atlanta. I can't believe in a city of this size, there are only two major chains. Boy, I miss Charlotte!!!
- July 29, 2011 at 5:58 AM
- Anonymous said...
Shop at BI-LO and save money on Gas with fuel perks instead.
- July 30, 2011 at 5:19 PM
- Anonymous said...
I live in Raleigh and find the Food Lion there equally disgusting as that in Charlotte. It is always hard to find a satisfying box of meat, and fishes in Food Lion. In Raleigh, lovely enough like Atlanta, I like Kroger a lot.
- August 2, 2011 at 6:50 AM
- Anonymous said...
Love me some Aldi's!!!
- August 2, 2011 at 5:53 PM
- Anonymous said...
I wish this store - which was originally a Kroger - would become a Kroger again!
- August 3, 2011 at 2:50 AM
- Anonymous said...
I was there with my boyfriend yesterday and unfortunately, the crowd, selection, and appearance was a drastic change from when it was a Bloom. The employees were unfriendly and the customers were "janky" to say the least. I'll be staying at Costco and HT.
- August 7, 2011 at 8:31 AM
- onlinesurvey said...
Look at the bottom of your receipt from your last purchase.
- September 23, 2018 at 11:30 PM


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Topic: When will the clearances begin? (Read 4686 times)
Jedi Apprentice
Posts: 2014
I can't think of anything witty to say...
When will the clearances begin?
April 14, 2005, 07:36 PM »
Taking a look at the wall of ROTS figures at my local Walmart and TRU, I'm wondering when the clearances will start taking place on figures to get the glut out of the way. For TPM I recall seeing lowered prices on figures in late August, however for AOTC I saw lowered prices as early as June. I think there may be a bit more life to the ROTS line in this regards, as the first week of May is the release of the ROTS video game which should get some pub, then 2+ weeks later the movie is released and will be in the public's mind for a couple of months. So I'm thinking by the middle of July we should start seeing clearance prices popping up. What do you think?
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Jesse James
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Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #1 on:
April 14, 2005, 08:21 PM »
I think ROTS is doing better than Saga's initial launch did... There's noticeable difference. I even see people in the SW aisle at every store I stop at, even kids, looking at figures. I didn't see ANYONE for AOTC, and that coupled with not seeing product really move seems telling to me... even if it's just a personal observation.
I think we'll see clearances later on this than with AOTC's launch, but I think we'll see them nonetheless. Some stuff just isn't moving, especially the Col. 1 figures and stuff like Mothma, Bail, etc...
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Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #2 on:
April 14, 2005, 08:23 PM »
I'm praying it's VERY soon, 'cause if they don't, we're never going to see anything new since there's absolutely NO room for it at this point...
Realistically though, I'd suspect them to maybe wait 'til about a month after the movie's release. Keep in mind that once ROTS hits theaters, there should presumably be a nice boost in sales of all the stuff that's already pegwarming. Or at least one would think...
Jedi General
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Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #3 on:
April 14, 2005, 08:25 PM »
July/August sounds about right, but who knows? People seem to be showing more interest in ROTS than they are for the previous two movies (with the exception of TPM's MM sales). There is a lot of figures coming out (56 that I know of so far) and there are aquite a few that just aren't moving already (Mon Mothma, Bail Organa and the like). So we'll just have to see.
So Corran, you trying to see how long it'll take until you can army-build on the cheap?
Last Edit: April 15, 2005, 07:48 PM by Matt_Fury
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Jedi Apprentice
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Get that poison out of your system
Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #4 on:
April 14, 2005, 08:33 PM »
I remember the Episode I clearance storm fairly well, as it seemed to hit and dissipate on a store by store basis. I recall Amazon (before TRU joined them) going on a rock bottom sale spree in December of 1999 (naturally they only had one thing I needed: a 12" scale Watto for 5 bucks shipped), but most of the retailers near me who will remain nameless (Wal-Mart) took a long time to clearance things out in some cases, while going to the bottom of price ranges fairly quickly at others (hence my Dancing Jar Jar which cost me the grand total of 4 bucks).
When it comes to Saga, I don't recall seeing anything clearanced to be quite honest. The stuff just kind of disappeared on a slow basis and the only things I ever saw marked down were the Deluxe Force Flippers of Dooku and Obi-Wan, and the occasional Zam Wessel doll. Other than that, it was here one day and gone the next.
ROTS, on the other hand, seems like a line that is really going to depend on the movie itself moreso than the other two films. With TPM, you had a huge buzz before the movie came out just because it was Star Wars. With Saga, you had another buzz, but at the same time, you had OT characters mixed in here and there. With ROTS, it's all characters from that film, a lot of people who didn't like the first two being cautious about this one, and more Vader heads per square yard than any previous movie. I think that a lot of the more casual adults are taking a "wait and see" attitude about the toys at this point, but depending on how great/bad the film is, we could see a lot of stuff get bought up quickly, or we could see Obi-Wan and Anakin staring at us all summer.
I have a feeling that Grievous is going to be the absence in the clearance aisle however. I belong to another non-SW forum that is absolutely nuts over him and people are trying like crazy to find ANYTHING that has to do with Grievous. Not for investing or scalping or anything, they just think the concept behind him is cool, the cartoon made him into this massive badass, and the toys of him (with the exception of the Exploding one and the Wheel Bike packin) have been outstanding in terms of sculpt and detail).
That said, I don't see any clearances happening on a large scale until after Christmas. I can see "Buy 2 get 1 Free" sales happening, but other than that, I think the prices will stay in the current range until the DVD has come out and they can't capitalize on anything tying in to the sales anymore.
Darth Broem
Jedi Knight
Posts: 3001
Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #5 on:
April 14, 2005, 08:45 PM »
I don't know about your areas but mine won't have a clearance until maybe Christmas time. Seriously. They could have just 20 Mon Mothmas hanging on the pegs and they will just leave them there.
Actually Target is pretty good about clearing out stuff. TRU is another story. Wal-Mart a tad better than TRU.
Jedi Initiate
Posts: 187
Never to be remembered ...
Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #6 on:
April 15, 2005, 01:35 AM »
I'm personally thinking sometime in August and I'd suspect Target to be the first to do it, while figures pile up at other retailers.
"If I'm not back in 5 minutes ... just wait longer."
Jedi Apprentice
Posts: 2014
I can't think of anything witty to say...
Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #7 on:
April 15, 2005, 03:50 AM »
The success of the line, and as such when clearances will happent, at this time cannot be solely based on whats happening in one area. Jesse seems to indicate that figures are hot sellers in his area, in my area the Targets have at least several dozen, with Walmart and TRU having several HUNDRED figures on the shelves each. Though it does seem that many of you are indicating that a lot of the same figures are sitting on shelves like Mon Mothma and Bail Organa, and the majority of the Col. #1 figs.
I think Dr. Padawan put it best about the buzz surrounding the movie determining how many people will buy the toys in the long run. But I would think it is going to require more people to buy the toys once the movie hits, than those who bought when the toys came out to really prevent the clearance from hitting so soon.
Matt #11 (I had to actually look that up
), I'm actually looking to buy the remaining figures I need at clearance time. I've held off buying most of the first 32 figures until clearance time. Most of the figures I've bought so far have been army builders. This is sorta what I did with SAGA, in that I bought about half a dozen figures at the initial onslaught, but in early June 02, KMart of all places clearanced figures at the low price of $3, so I wound up picking up all the missing SAGA I needed at that time, something like 25 figures. Looks to me right now that might be the case once again.
Oh and I agree with Jagdohh, I see Target clearancing off first, their shelf space is more of a premium than it is of say Walmart or TRU who can afford to keep product out longer because they have so much shelf space. However, I also think Walmart will wind up with the lowest clearance price in the end if we go by what happened with the OTC line.
Jason F.
- Vintage Needs: Micro Collection Snowspeeder box and pilots, Micro Collection X-Wing pilot
Jesse James
Staff Member
Grand Master
Posts: 35166
Slippery When Poopy
Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #8 on:
April 15, 2005, 04:08 AM »
I think confusion between "Sale" and "Clearance" is important to address too. I think we'll see multiple sales... "BOGO", "2-for's", and the like... I think that'll be a common thing up until a clearance.
To address why there wasn't a Saga Clearance, technically there was... First though, there was a "buy-back" situation though, and then there was actually a 2nd "buy-back" situation. Hasbro did that once I believe with Episode One though, and later in the line's life.
After the buy-back the figures wound up at KB in droves... Or so the story goes. Hasbro did a lot to make TRU and WM happy during the Saga glut though... I remember people boxing those figs up in droves at WM. One day they had a wall of useless stuff, the next they had nothing, or even had semi-new stuff out. Some of that though, as I recall, was even "old" by the time it got out to the shelves. Target was more conservative, as always, and avoided that situation.
With this movie, it's tough to say if Hasbro will bite on taking any of it back again... The line is theirs to sell after this film, not the other way around, so I'm not sure how they'd handle appeasing retail shoudl ROTS see massive gluts.
I wouldn't say things are flying off shelves here though, by any means, they just are doing better than Saga did... In my neck, people werne't in aisles, kids weren't interested, and Saga tanked... ROTS I'm seeing different things, but that doesn't mean I'm not seeing lots of figures on the pegs, or that I'm seeing stores restocking constantly. If I was, I'd be able to find those later #'d figures that are aggrevating the **** out of me.
I will say though, that for an initial push, this line's doing better than Saga did I think. I've seen stores restock since 4/2... I didn't see that with Saga in its first week or so... Hell, the WM I frequent most restocked once since 4/2, but with Saga the only thing they restocked was the TIE Bomber they held off on putting on the shelf till MM... The rest just clogged the pegs for months. It was really quite sad.
They're stuck now though with the typical stuff every other store has.
I will say if you're wanting to army build, don't wait. Clones, RG's, and even the basic battledroid are moving. I find C1 Clones sporatically with BD's, but that's about it. All that other stuff is hot property at the moment. Toy Show had Pilots, Commanders, etc., for $15 - $20 each. Pissed me off to see all the scalping sacks of dung selling what I think I can rightly assume is my area's supply of the figures I wanted the most... And lying through their sporatic, yellow, gnarled chicklets they call teeth about these being "limited run" items, "variations", and "rare"... Buncha dickheads.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval! But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77
Jedi Sentinel
Posts: 11645
Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #9 on:
April 15, 2005, 09:05 AM »
It seems to me that ROTS is moving better and generating a lot more interest than the SAGA stuff as well (speaking of the AOTC "launch"). With the exception of the first night, I rarely saw anyone else looking at AOTC stuff when I was shopping, and with ROTS, there is someone...adults, kids, or a combination looking at something in the ROTS aisle about every time I'm there. That said, after the first weekend/week or so this stuff was out, things seem to be chocked pretty full right now. I'm hoping once the movie is released we'll see some more stuff move, but otherwise, the likelihood of seeing new figures isn't looking too hot right now. Wal-Mart is packed to the gills every time I go there with #1-32 (sans Clones and RG), Target has been stocked pretty well full as well, and TRU doesn't look like they've sold any figures for awhile now. Maybe they are just restocking with the same figures and I don't notice, so who knows.
I don't think we'll see any clearances until June/July at the earliest, and maybe not even that soon. This movie really has the makings of being the Star Wars that the fanbase, and general public, will enjoy a lot...so maybe that will help things to move more in the summer months. We'll probably see some sort of a clearance by fall, especially if things aren't selling. Target always enjoys a clearance sale, and seem to often be the first to jump on board. I'm trying to keep things "in perspective" with complaining about not seeing "new figures", because thanks to Kohls, I've now seen almost all of the figures #1-40, and that's crazy to think about considering they've been out two weeks. 16 figures the rest of the year, barring any surprise announcements.
Jedi Knight
Posts: 4063
Destroying the hobby one EU figure at a time.
Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #10 on:
April 15, 2005, 11:19 AM »
Just remember ... it's only been two weeks. Two weeks.
I know the die-hard collectors who are loaded and/or up to their eyes in credit card debt bought two of everything already, but some of us are just getting started.
Besides, I suspect once the movie's out the kids and casual fans will descend upon the stores en masse and clean out many of what we consider pegwarmers.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Fanboy
(in carbonite since '09, back someday)
Posts: 87
Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #11 on:
April 15, 2005, 06:24 PM »
While at Target & Wal-Mart today I saw a mom buying 4 different figures and a dad buying figures for his kid (the way he was reacting to the figures I could tell he was not a collecter)...A $3.00 sale would be nice for a week
"Collect to Collect" what moron thought that statement up?
Darth Broem
Jedi Knight
Posts: 3001
Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #12 on:
April 15, 2005, 07:33 PM »
Yeah, I have seen more kids in the aisles looking at this stuff than anytime before. Well except maybe before Ep1 came out.
Jedi Initiate
Posts: 103
Re: When will the clearances begin?
Reply #13 on:
April 16, 2005, 04:58 AM »
I heard Target dropped their prices a little bit. That's good news, considering it will move some of the older figures out of the pegs and open the door for new ones. I want to see more of the Clone Commander wave come in!
"Now I am the Master!"-Darth Vader
SGT. Flint
Posts: 45
Th'is I... The Price Of Punk
This is kinda funny....
Reply #14 on:
April 26, 2005, 01:19 PM »
Well I just got back from Target in search of the exclusive Clonetrooper but they didnt have in on the pegs or in there stockroom.
So now here is the kicker..... They have there deluxe figures marked down to $7.88 as is the cup/figure combo and the Tri Droid fighter, Ani and Ob1 fighters for $16.88. And trust me they have the red clearance tag and everything. Kinda funny 'eh
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text:
Cold Harbor Campaign - 1864
Official Records
Report of Lieut. Gen. U.S. Grant of operations March, 1864-May, 1865
Report of Lieut. Gen. U.S. Grant, U.S. Army, commanding Armies of the United States, of operations March, 1864-May, 1865.GENERAL REPORT.O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXXIV/1 [S# 61]NoteGrant did not write a detailed report for his actions at Cold Harbor. The following is extracted from his report detailing his tenure as Commander of the Armies of the United States.HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, Washington, D.C., July 22, 1865Hon. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War......The army sent to operate against Richmond having hermetically sealed itself up at Bermuda Hundred, the enemy was enabled to bring the most, if not all, the re-enforcements brought from the south by Beauregard against the Army of the Potomac. In addition to this re-enforcement, a very considerable one, probably not less than 15,000 men, was obtained by calling in the scattered troops under Breckinridge from the western part of Virginia. The position at Bermuda Hundred was as easy to defend as it was difficult to operate from against the enemy. I determined, therefore, to bring from it all available forces, leaving enough only to secure what had been gained, and accordingly, on the 22d, I directed that they be sent forward, under command of Maj. Gen. W. F. Smith, to join the Army of the Potomac. On the 24th of May, the Ninth Army Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. A. E. Burnside, was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and from this time forward constituted a portion of Major-General Meade's command. Finding the enemy's position on the North Anna stronger than either of his previous ones, I withdrew on the night of the 26th to the north bank of the North Anna, and moved via Hanovertown to turn the enemy's position by his right. Generals Torbert and Merritt's divisions of cavalry, under Sheridan, and the Sixth Corps led the advance; crossed the Pamunkey River at Hanovertown after considerable fighting, and on the 28th the two divisions of cavalry had a severe but successful engagement with the enemy at Haw's Shop. On the 29th and 30th, we advanced, with heavy skirmishing, to the Hanover Court-House and Cold Harbor road, and developed the enemy's position north of the Chickahominy. Late on the evening of the last day the enemy came out and attacked our left, but was repulsed with very considerable loss. An attack was immediately ordered by General Meade along his whole line, which resulted in driving the enemy from a part of his intrenched skirmish line. On the 31st, General Wilson's division of cavalry destroyed the railroad bridges over the South Anna River, after defeating the enemy's cavalry. General Sheridan, on the same day, reached Cold Harbor, and held it until relieved by the Sixth Corps and General Smith's command, which had just arrived, via White House, from General Butler's army. On the 1st day of June an attack was made at 5 p.m. by the Sixth Corps and the troops under General Smith, the other corps being held in readiness to advance on the receipt of orders. This resulted in our carrying and holding the enemy's first line of works in front of the right of the Sixth Corps and in front of General Smith. During the attack the enemy made repeated assaults on each of the corps not engaged in the main attack, but were repulsed with heavy loss in every instance. That night he made several assaults to regain what he had lost in the day, but failed. The 2d was spent in getting troops into position for an attack on the 3d. On the 3d of June we again assaulted the enemy's works in the hope of driving him from his position. In this attempt our loss was heavy, while that of the enemy, I have reason to believe, was comparatively light. It was the only general attack made from the Rapidan to the James which did not inflict upon the enemy losses to compensate for our own losses. I would not be understood as saying that all previous attacks resulted in victories to our arms, or accomplished as much as I had hoped from them, but they inflicted upon the enemy severe losses, which tended in the end to the complete overthrow of the rebellion. From the proximity of the enemy to his defenses around Richmond it was impossible by any flank movement to interpose between him and the city. I was still in a condition to either move by his left flank and invest Richmond from the north side or continue my move by his right flank to the south side of the James. While the former might have been better as a covering for Washington, yet a full survey of all the ground satisfied me that it would be impracticable to hold a line north and east of Richmond that would protect the Fredericksburg railroad--a long, vulnerable line which would exhaust much of our strength to guard, and that would have to be protected to supply the army, and would leave open to the enemy all his lines of communication on the south side of the James. My idea, from the start, had been to beat Lee's army north of Richmond if possible; then, after destroying his lines of communication north of the James River, to transfer the army to the south side and besiege Lee in Richmond or follow him south if he should retreat. After the battle of the Wilderness it was evident that the enemy deemed it of the first importance to run no risks with the army he then had. He acted purely on the defensive behind breast-works, or feebly on the offensive immediately in front of them, and where in case of repulse he could easily retire behind them. Without a greater sacrifice of life than I was willing to make, all could not be accomplished that I had designed north of Richmond. I therefore determined to continue to hold substantially the ground we then occupied, taking advantage of any favorable circumstances that might present themselves, until the cavalry could be sent to Charlottesville and Gordonsville to effectually break up the railroad connection between Richmond and the Shenandoah Valley and Lynchburg; and when the cavalry got well off to move the army to the south side of the James River, by the enemy's right flank, where I felt I could cut off all his sources of supply except by the canal. On the 7th, two divisions of cavalry, under General Sheridan, got off on the expedition against the Virginia Central Railroad, with instructions to Hunter, whom I hoped he would meet near Charlottesville, to join his forces to Sheridan's, and after the work laid out for them was thoroughly done to join the Army of the Potomac by the route laid down in Sheridan's instructions. On the 10th [9th] of June General Butler sent a force of infantry under General Gillmore, and of cavalry under General Kautz, to capture Petersburg if possible, and destroy the railroad and common bridges across the Appomattox. The cavalry carried the works on the south side, and penetrated well in toward the town, but were forced to retire. General Gillmore, finding the works which he approached very strong, and deeming an assault impracticable, returned to Bermuda Hundred without attempting one. Attaching great importance to the possession of Petersburg, I sent back to Bermuda Hundred and City Point General Smith's command by water, via the White House, to reach there in advance of the Army of the Potomac. This was for the express purpose of securing Petersburg before the enemy, becoming aware of our intention, could re-enforce the place. The movement from Cold Harbor commenced after dark on the evening of the 12th; one division of cavalry, under General Wilson, and the Fifth Corps crossed the Chickahominy at Long Bridge, and moved out to White Oak Swamp, to cover the crossings of the other corps. The advance corps reached James River, at Wilcox's Landing and Charles City Court-House, on the night of the 13th. .......U. S. GRANT,Lieutenant-General.This page last updated 10/30/01, commanding Armies of the United States, of operations March, 1864-May, 1865.GENERAL REPORT.O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXXIV/1 [S# 61]


text:
Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf rtf lrf pdb txt html
Hi instead of adding preety coloring to dashboard WHY DON-T YOU M'MR' PUT some COVERS on ebookd might sell better AS U NO. Ave a look at Lulu ebook Pub might give you a clue
Plus LUlu pays royalties in full SO y don-t you instead all crap about UK tax regs. Bullshit PGD MK UK Ave a nice day


text:
Band's induction into Hall of Fame was no rush
LOS ANGELES - Rush fans can relax. The band is now officially in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Canadian rockers were welcomed into the musical fraternity at Thursday's 28th annual induction ceremony by the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins At the beginning of the Nokia Theatre event, the audience was already administering a standing ovation to the group.
"We've been saying for a long time that this wasn't a big deal," drummer-lyricist Neil Peart told the crowd, most of whom came out to specifically support the band. "It turns out, it kind of is."
Rush gained entry following its first appearance on the ballot after repeatedly being left off the list since gaining eligibility in 1998, to the great consternation of the legion of Rush fans who cried bias against progressive rock. The long wait didn't seem to matter at Thursday's star-studded concert event, which ran over five hours. Peart, lead singer Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson made up for lost time by launching into a rambunctious rendition of "Tom Sawyer" in front of the more than 7,000 attendees.
Rush was among this year's eight eclectic inductees, who also included fellow classic rockers Heart, singer-songwriter Randy Newman, rap group Public Enemy, disco queen Donna Summer, bluesman Albert King, and producers Quincy Jones and Lou Adler
The induction ceremony will be broadcast May 18 on HBO.


text:
FoldaRap, The Folding RepRap
a folding 3d printer, to carry it everywhere !
About the project
The campaign is finished for this time, thanks to the 52 contributors from all over the world !
If you are still interested and patient, leave me a message and I'll recontact you for the second small batch.
The 2nd batch onGoteo is over !
Pre-orders are open on 3D Print Skin :)
The FoldaRap is an open-source 3d-Printer, easy to assemble, and most important : foldable to bring it anywhere !
3D-Printer, RepRap, what's all about ?
3D-Printing is an additive manufacturing process : layers of plastic are successively laid down to produce objects relatively quickly. That allow to produce some pieces that would have been difficult to make with conventional processes (machining, injection), and contrary to molding there is no tooling.
Hence it is often compared to our traditional printers : with a digital file and a raw material we can make all sort of things at demand (fused plastic replacing the paper+ink), simply by changing the file sent to "print". We are still far from the Star Trek Replicator, but on the way... I invite you to watch and re-watch that nice little video for a larger overview of what that could change : Full Printed.
The technology of 3D-Printing is not new, but there have been a big change around 2006 : the team of the Dr. Adrian Bowyer (Bath University, UK) made the firsts RepRap (Replicating Rapid Prototyper) - a 3D-Printer which can prints some of it's own parts.
However, the beauty of this invention is not in itself rather than having chosen an open-source license (GPL). Quickly a vibrant community arose around this project, the propagation became exponential and variations started to flourish (see the RepRap Family Tree).
A technology which was only accessible to the industry and big companies is now at hand of any enthusiast tinkerer. While 3D-printing make it's way in the garages and homes, people starts to make or try lots of things by themselves, more or less useful but sometimes truly practical when it came to fix stuff or for custom-made parts. Looking at a sharing platform like Thingiverse reveal how creative everyone can be... what do you imagine then ?
FoldaRap, The Folding RepRap
The idea of the FoldaRap came from the experience gained through different RepRaps and others machines that I built. But mostly from several Bootcamps that pushed me to develop a version that would be really transportable (in it's flightcase we could even ship it by plane, or just for storing it under the desk when not used).
Main features :
- Foldable
- Made with robust aluminium extrusions
- Max print volume of 140 x 140 x 140 mm (consumable : PLA filament of 1,75mm)
- Easy to assemble
- All the electronics are safely enclosed in the base, connected via USB
- Works with open-source softwares that run on windows, mac, linux
- Use common standards formats of the industry (STL, AMF, OBJ)
That took me 5-7 months (easily more than 500 hours) to develop this project. Fortunately I could build upon the shoulders of others. To perpetuate that virtuous circle I also redistributed everything, since the very beginning, under the same open-source license. I also wanted to include a detailed BOM, a thing that I wish I could have seen more often in other projects.
I documented the FoldaRap along my progression, from the very first sketch through every trials and errors... so there is already lots of thing to see on the wiki page for understanding how it works.
But it's just a beginning ! I planned to improve it, ideally by making a sort of lego-like build manual.
For who is this project ?
I firstly thought to aim for experienced users, already having a 3d-printer or aware of the personal manufacturing trend, the maker movement, FabLabs, etc. and the potential revolution they represent.
Nonetheless, I designed the FoldaRap to be as easy as possible to build : you need few tools, and there is no distance to check during the assembly thanks to the push-fit strategy, making it easier to build than the previous models.
While today it take a week to construct a classic RepRap and print something correct, the FoldaRap can be built in a day or two. With a kit well made we may even lower that time to few hours (if the campaign exceed the initial goal I will even try blind-folded)
Another advantage of a foldable RepRap : you can easily ship it assembled by regular postage - an interesting option for those who don't have the desire or the time to build and calibrate themselves a 3d-printer.
To conclude : the FoldaRap is for both the neophytes and experienced users.
More details on the wiki : http://reprap.org/wiki/FoldaRap
And plenty of pics/vids here : flickr / youtube / ustream
If you're interested by this machine, keep in mind that the kit's preparation will take some times - but I will not miss to keep you informed of my regular progress :)
Hoping Foldaraps will then replicate themselves in the wild... I can tell you there is a dedicated reprap forum in the community, to continue the discussion, share future build logs of each of you, or to talk about precise points,... It's here : forums.reprap.org !
What are the funds for?
This campaign have multiple aims : funds new prototypes, make bulk orders, find beta-testers and spread this project.
1) Make bulk orders
Bulk orders makes small savings on scale, and huge savings on taxes and shipping. Between buying one power supply to a reseller or ten at a manufacturer the choice is quickly made.
Preparing to build several machines will allow me to offer kits at a reasonable price.
2) Fund new prototypes
The model #000 is already operational - like some of you may have seen during various events - but I have other ideas to test ! That prototype cost me roughly 600€ but 150€ in taxes+shipping, bulk ordering will be good to have an easier access to the needed resources to improve the FoldaRap project.
3) Spread the project
As any open-source project, the FoldaRap can only progress if a community build itself around it. With that crowd-funding and the machines that will be made, I hope to disseminate the seeds of the community in which the project could evolve.
I think I've given a lot of myself until then. Today I need a little help from you. And even if I only told you about the FoldaRap for now, your support is also encouraging me in other projects in the same spirit, as to make a FabLab that fits in two luggages ;-)
About the project owner
Hello !
I'm Emmanuel Gilloz, designer-geek-idealist :)
A little more detailled :
When I was a child I wanted to be a tinkerer and save the world.
Today I'm part of the Makers movement, and this enthusiastic generation who don't want to let the world as it is. In order to progress each day toward the ideal of a more distributed and cooperative society.
I try to design less objects than environments/tools that will allow people to design their own solution. That led me to contribute to the creation of several FabLabs/Makerspaces in France and Africa, and to met a lot of great people.
About the RepRap project :http://reprap.org/wiki/User:Emmanuel
I heard about it in 2009, somewhere on the Internet... One year later, after having read a lot of things and saved some money, I started to build a Mendel (the second RepRap generation at this time), but it was way harder than today : it took me 6 months to finish the machine and print a first thing.
Later I had the occasion to build many more machines, Prusa, Orca, Huxley,etc. (and spent hundreds euros in that hobby^^').
Following a discussion with a friend I started to design the complete RepRap genealogy, by curiosity and to show the power of the community : RepRap Family Tree (you may have already seen it on the Makezine's blog)
Open-source powa !


text:
Raising a Child With the Right Kind of Self-Esteem
Is high self-esteem the key ingredient to your child's success? New research reveals heaping on the praise doesn't necessary lead to happiness down the road. WSJ Work & Family columnist Sue Shellenbarger, and parents Jason and Cara Greene, join Lunch Break to discuss. Photo: Jason Greene.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... I'm Wendy downs is high self esteem that ingredient is how successful for decades hence indicators ... and also the new research reveals that he is on the praise doesn't always lead to happiness down the road ... the CAC see Shellenbarger joins us now she's our work and family calmness and now said Jason ... and Karen Green their parents and on top of expense of the site with us as well thanks you guys all for being here say let's start with you ... was taught about winds high self esteem doesn't necessarily ... predicts success down the road when a child grows up to be an adult ... it's your sister T and still do not themselves ... when goes wrong is if you ... eat to reach crazily child for no real reason ... to develop in an unusually high opinion of yourself and sets them up for failure down the road ... when an elite hitch Access exorcism and the smarter better than they are kids can then reach out to have a more realistic view of yourself in the context of true love and support ... existing carry you all been working on this man has a three year old son why very few of ... these were to rein in and a little bit when he started soccer practice what happened there ... well I mean soccer coach optician a band of rain and yes and ... we are doing in the ... past and she ... drew ... and I have twenty use any of my soccer team and so began our practice ... and so things have begun ... orderly and quickly ... and ... he did his room and using the back of the line we started misbehaving ... Michael bemoans ... the ... new phone line ... like everyone else ... Annie's continue to misbehave in for a household ... as I pull them out and that means that the site ... and down the rest of the journal the next euro went on to remind him that you're not more important than you an awesome team ... and by being away selfish ... way into this taking away time from the roster of how we react to that and didn't bring that home might have when he came home was to complain about the sort of how you ... know when we had a situation like that I wanna make sure to read your thumb right there in the spot and so I've Tokyo after we had a drink of water ... and during a break ... in and after telling the heat and warm preteen ... I asked what eleven ... we yet we can hug ... and then we would own practice in their teens time ... and what about at home I mean did you have to serve reinforce the same notion Home Odyssey one clergyman you want one to like he does have good self esteem that you know when to go too far what ways is a played out for you ... his country ... so with the family land no one person in the family can be worn for many renounce our families is in chaos ... has no interest the axis of the new Pursell taxes with another tenth ... year we've reinforced think ... it's important you do what you like doing you strive for that ... the half to bear in mind you're part of its being a part of something bigger than just its opposite of what I've seen it even when you're at home as soon ... as some other new research though that is showing that actually ... can be good for the first test at least temporarily ... have a little bit lower self esteem ... he researches the use of this team is how we are seen by others we are going to be included in excess Citigroup's huge increase typically the job a peak of ... finding a middle ground between a Shelby County usually calm down sch ended the meetings here she is great which assets are up for failure ... I am not going to crest and also encourage land when he got this mean became a ... with only high school house in Tennessee and a ... year you raise your personal worth ... anything in the new research showing that rather than just putting things up on time which actually except for the under twenty to help them be positive but realistic about their capabilities ... Steve Ballmer


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What's 100 feet long by 50 feet wide, cost $17.5 million to build and runs on 38,000 photovoltaic cells? It's the Turanor PlanetSolar, a massive catamaran powered solely by the sun.
Castaway's parents thought they would never see him again
The father of Pacific castaway Jose Salvador Alvarenga said he was told his long-lost son vanished on a fishing trip but he didn't have the heart to break the news to his ailing wife.
- Scotland legalizes same-sex marriage
- Weapons deal strengthened Assad: US intel chief
- Outcry over the fate of Sochi's stray dogs
- Olympic construction leaves Sochi residents in the cold
- Castaway's parents thought they would never see him again
The what? Turanor is a word taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" saga and translates into "the power of the sun". PlanetSolar is the team of 100 engineers and others working to be the first to circumnavigate the globe with a solar-powered boat.
"This is a milestone in the progress of solar mobility," Immo Stroher, a German investor who partnered with Swiss adventurer Raphael Domjan to bankroll the showcase for solar power, said in a statement. "It is my vision to see solar power take its rightful place — not only on rooftops, but also on the roads, seas and in the skies of the future."
After arriving from Europe last Saturday, the catamaran and its six-member crew spent a few days in Miami, Fla., and then left Tuesday for a leg to Cancun, Mexico, where delegates to the U.N. climate change summit are meeting.
"This voyage around the world is meant to test the long-term performance," Domjan stated. "When it comes to solar shipping, brilliant innovation is required: less weight, less friction, efficient propulsion, a reliable solar energy store and finally, the production of electric energy."
With a "wave-piercing" design, the 24-foot-tall catamaran "slices" through the water instead of riding waves, which takes more energy.
Moreover, the catamaran has a surface area of more than 5,700 square feet, allowing for 825 modules that house the 38,000 photovoltaic cells. The crew can adjust how many cells are used by extending the length and/or width of the catamaran by several feet.
Electricity from the sun powers four electric motors that propel the catamaran's two drive shafts.
Finally, a 13-ton lithium battery in the hull store enough electricity to run the catamaran for up to three days without direct sunlight.
But the ride is slow, with only just enough power to keep the catamaran at around 7 knots (about 8 mph) during favorable conditions — slow by sailing standards.
And then there's the criticism of why bother with solar when there's a much cheaper renewable energy for shipping: the wind.
"Some people say, 'You have built the most unnecessary vessel in the world because it is running without an engine, but that's what people have done with sails for 3,000 years,''' Stroher told the Miami Herald. "They are right, of course. It's not my main purpose to have boats or ships run on solar but to show what renewable resources are able to achieve.''
Now a month since leaving Monaco, the Turanor PlanetSolar is expected to take another nine months to complete the around-the-world journey.
For its backers, each stop along the way is a chance to excite others about the possibilities.
"We want to motivate engineers and scientists to develop innovative technologies," said Domjan. "This is to show that visions are about to become reality."
© 2013 msnbc.com Reprints


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Valley View Mennonite Church (Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, USA)
The Britton Run Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church (MC)) was located in Crawford County in northwestern Pennsylvania. In 1931 Amish Mennonite settlers arrived in the vicinity of Britton Run. After J. C. Provins of Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Will Howitt of Portage County, Ohio, canvassed the community for funds to purchase a deserted church building in the village, the Ohio Mennonite Mission Board helped to organize the congregation and furnished workers. Several Mennonite families from Nebraska joined the settlement. The family of Eli Kramer and others from Madison County, Ohio, came within the next few years. Lewis Kletzly, the first licensed minister, later moved to Beaver Dam, 15 miles (25 km) north. Early workers included Nelson King from Logan County, Ohio, and I. B. Witmer, a nonresident minister from Leetonia, Ohio.
The 1953 membership was 60 and the pastor J. W. Birky.
In 1965 the congregation erected a new building on the edge of Spartansburg, Pennsylvania (about four miles from Britton Run), and adopted the name Valley View Mennonite Church.
In 2009 the pastor was Robert E. Esh; there was a membership of 122.
Stoltzfus, Grant M. Mennonites of the Ohio and Eastern Conference; From the Colonial Period in Pennsylvania to 1968. Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, no. 13. Scottdale, Pa: Herald Press, 1969: 210-211, 306.
Additional Information
Address: PO Box 216, Spartansburg, PA 16434-0216
Location: 24313 Highway 89 and 77, Spartansburg, Pennsylvania
Phone: 814-654-7732
Website: Valley View Mennonite Church
Denominational Affiliations:
Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA
Map:Valley View Mennonite Church (Spartansburg, Pennsylvania)
|John S. Umble
|Samuel J. Steiner
|Date Published
Cite This Article
MLA style
Umble, John S. and Samuel J. Steiner. "Valley View Mennonite Church (Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 20 Sep 2020. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Valley_View_Mennonite_Church_(Spartansburg,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=165876.
APA style
Umble, John S. and Samuel J. Steiner. (1953). Valley View Mennonite Church (Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 20 September 2020, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Valley_View_Mennonite_Church_(Spartansburg,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=165876.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 431. All rights reserved.
©1996-2020 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.


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The Goldsun Condominiums of San Mateo is located adjacent to San Mateo High School. This area is in a great location as it is nearby the 101 freeway, offering easy access to San Francisco and San Jose. Different types of homes you will find in this area include newly built and gorgeous condos. For more information about the neighborhood contact the Boyenga Team.
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Likewise a value of 50 crime index represents a crime rate that is half the national average.
Our Crime Index values are based primarily on current and historical FBI Uniform Crime Statistics.
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text: Truly unique amongst oceanfront hotels on Virginia Beach, the Residence Inn by Marriott offers a comfortable, stylish retreat at a substantial value. With beautiful interior designs, breathtaking oceanfront views and a warm, friendly staff, our beachfront hotel has everything needed to create memorable Virginia Beach experiences. Boasting rooms with spectacular views from private, furnished oceanfront balconies, this modern beachfront hotel offers 72 spacious suites each with full kitchens and direct beach access. All suites offer the latest amenities travelers demand including free wireless high-speed Internet, indoor pool, fitness center and guest laundry. Enjoy plush, crisp linens, thick mattresses, custom comforters & fluffy pillows. Valet parking, hot breakfast buffet and weekly barbecue are all complimentary, as well. As the only pet-friendly extended stay, oceanfront hotel in Virginia Beach, we are happy to host your family pet as well. All Oceanfront, All Suites, All the Comforts of Home!


text: League City is located close to both Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, making it the third largest pleasure boat anchorage in the country. Full of entertainment options, recreational activities, and upscale residential neighborhoods, the city has so much to offer both old and new residents alike. With friendly people, great restaurants, and one-of-a-kind fishing opportunities, League City is the ideal place for you to enjoy big city amenities along with the beauty nature offers.


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Modifying the calendar involves a series of operations such as editing the title, changing the colour, emptying a calendar of its events, deleting a calendar, and much more. These options would help you in customizing your calendars.
Altering the calendar name, the color scheme and the description are termed as calendar editing.
Of all your calendars, if there are any which you don't use often, you can hide those calendars from your calendar home page. This comes in handy when you have a large number of subscribed calendars, and feel your home page is messy.
Instead of hiding the least used calendars from the main page itself, there is an alternate option of preventing the events of that calendar from being displayed on the calendar. This is referred to as enabling or disabling of that calendar.
You might have subscribed to any of your friends calendar back in time, and he might have modified events in his calendar. How would you be notified of the update? By default, all the subscribed calendars will get automatically updated once in 12 hours. If you feel it is way too long, we have included a manual update option too.
It will be automatically updated instantly whenever it is modified, hence hassle free.
Based on your preference, you are enabled to specify the order in which your calendars should appear on the home page. This can be done by simply dragging the calendars to the order you want them in.
Suppose you wish to start a calendar from scratch, we have provided an option of deleting all the events of a calendar. This will not alter the name of the calendar or the color code, but will only delete all events within.
If there is any calendar which does not serve any purpose now, it is only rightful to delete it. If that calendar has any events stored in them, then those events too will be lost.
As you cannot delete subscribed calendars, you can unsubscribe from them if you no longer need them. Here is how to unsubscribe from a calendar:


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Under the dazzling light of a sapphire Baccarat chandelier gracing S.S. Antoinette's two-story lobby, it's clear that you're part of something special. Details from bow to stern are fashioned after Marie Antoinette's Château de Versailles, inviting you to marvel over original oil paintings and a 19th-century Venetian glass mirror adorning the walls. Yet this isn't the only floating museum sailing along Europe's rivers. Let us share some of our favorite uniquely designed vessels transporting you to the cities, towns and villages that have inspired artists through the ages.
When we select your ideal river cruise, you'll be surrounded by Uniworld's thoughtful details. Aboard S.S. Maria Theresa, 150 guests step back in time to the height of the Hapsburg's reign. This floating baroque Viennese palace is replete with golden gilded motifs and walls hand-painted to depict an 18th-century Austrian countryside. Wander the halls of the S.S. Joie de Vivre to experience Paris as it evolved from the roaring 1920s to the groovy 1960s. The 128-passenger River Queen is an Art Deco masterpiece, designed to resemble a 1930s steamship with richly textured blue-and-white fabric and the only fireplace on a river vessel. You'll surely be inspired by these exquisite river cruise ships.
Celebrate the world's beauty without worrying about the details, thanks to Uniworld's truly all-inclusive philosophy that extends from dining and unlimited beverages to gratuities and airport transfers. Complimentary excursions speak to every interest, such as "Do as the Locals Do." As your Uniworld expert, we can also guide you toward special sailings within the Connoisseur Collection, which includes a visit to La Couronne restaurant, where Julia Child had her first French meal. Or ask us about select Generations Family Program sailings that invite people to appreciate the artistry of lifelong learning through travel.


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Primera Division: Atletico Madrid must forget about Champions League, says Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone wants Atletico Madrid to ignore the Champions League as they resume their Primera Division title hunt.
Last Updated: 02/05/14 3:42pm
Los Rojiblancos joined city rivals Real Madrid in booking their place in the May 24 Lisbon showpiece with a brilliant 3-1 triumph in the second leg of their semi-final at Chelsea on Wednesday.
They head into the weekend four points ahead of Barcelona with three games left - and six clear of Real, who have played 34 matches - and Simeone wasted no time in turning his attention to domestic matters after his team's midweek heroics in London.
"We had to work hard to find the match we wanted, and that was after the second goal," he said on Atletico's website ahead of Sunday's trip to the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia.
"The consequence was a big collective effort and having everyone chasing after the same objective, which was to get the team to the final.
"(On Thursday) we start preparing for the match against Levante, and nothing must distract us from keeping our focus on Levante."
Barca can move within a point of Simeone's men with victory at Getafe on Saturday afternoon.
A successful title defence for the Catalan club would ease the pressure on coach Gerardo Martino, whose future has been the subject of speculation for some time despite insistences he will see out the two-year deal he signed last summer.
"It has been a year of gaining knowledge in European football," the Argentinian said at his pre-match press conference.
"I've learned to handle myself when I receive criticism and praise. Everywhere you learn, but there is a lot to learn here and you have to do it fast."
Asked whether talks had taken place with the club about next season, he replied: "I am just focusing on the remaining games, which will be decisive to see if we still can win La Liga. I have not heard anything from the club."
Real, who advanced to the Champions League final with a stunning 4-0 second-leg success at Bayern Munich on Tuesday, take on eighth-placed Valencia on Sunday evening.
The only negative from the trip to Munich was a yellow card for Xabi Alonso which rules the midfielder out of the final, but he remained upbeat.
"Beating this Bayern in both matches deserves a lot of credit with the way they've been playing this season," Alonso told Real's website.
"We were able to control the game perfectly. We didn't give away any chances and it was a perfect match."
Los Che head to the Bernabeu looking to bounce back from their dramatic Europa League exit on Thursday night.
Juan Antonio Pizzi had led Sevilla 3-0 in the second leg and looked on course to overturn their 2-0 first-leg deficit, but Stephane Mbia headed home a decisive stoppage-time away goal to send the visitors through to the final.
"I am proud of the players, the fans and everyone representing the club," said Pizzi.
"We all have to evaluate this and learnand try to be better every day. But I have told the players I am proud of them. We deserved to reach the final and did enough to get there."
Sevilla coach Unai Emery felt his side earned their final berth, though.
"There is no team that has given so much enthusiasm for this competition," he said ahead of their game against Villarreal at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Sunday.
"Sevilla have relished this competition from the beginning, since facing Estoril in front of 4,000 fans."
The weekend's action kicks off on Friday night, when victory at Rayo Vallecano would guarantee Athletic Bilbao a fourth-place finish and the precious final Champions League qualifying spot.
In other games on Saturday, second-bottom Real Valladolid face Espanyol, while fellow strugglers Elche visit Malaga and Osasuna take on Celta Vigo.
Eighteenth-placed Almeria play already relegated Real Betison Sunday, and sixth-spotted Real Sociedad meet Granada on Monday night.


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An interesting one getting little coverage at the moment:
For those who haven't tracked the issue closely – and given the abysmally inadequate media coverage to date that is most people – the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) seeks to strong arm every financial institution in the world into doing the job of the IRS. FATCA is said to be about stopping tax evasion, but while its backers argue that there is $100 billion lost (a dubious claim) to tax evasion each year, government bean counters score FATCA as bringing in less than $1 billion annually. The price for 1% effectiveness, by their own numbers, is hundreds of billions in worldwide compliance costs, reduced foreign investment in the US and the loss of jobs.
FATCA Had No Committee Review And No Deliberation
FATCA was passed as an afterthought to pay for the HIRE Act in 2010. Given the lack of deliberation – there were no hearings or debate over the issue – it's no surprise that FATCA was written so poorly as to be nearly unenforceable. Establishing agreements between the Treasury Department and each individual financial institution was not going to work. The logistics were a nightmare even without the additional obstacles posed by local privacy laws that conflicted with FATCA's dictates. To get around these problems, the bureaucrats got creative and devised a scheme to trick foreign governments into relinquishing their sovereignty: intergovernmental agreements (IGAs).
The IGAs relieve Treasury of the responsibility to deal with institutions individually, farming that out to foreign governments instead. In return, foreign governments are promised reciprocation from the US.
But it's all a sham.
Foreign Governments Are Being Conned
The foreign governments think they are signing treaties, which Treasury happily lets them believe. Moreover, they don't understand the US political system well enough to understand that Treasury cannot make law – only enforce it. Unlike a parliamentary system, the US government is based on a system of checks and balances that separates power between different branches, the FATCA law does not grant any authority to sign such agreements and promise reciprocation.
Treasury Acting Without Authority
Continuing their pattern of acting first and asking for authority later, if at all, the administration is reportedly prepared to ask Congress for authority to compel US banks to provide reciprocal reporting for IGA partners. Forcing US banks to comply with FATCA-like reporting requirements, a prospect not authorized in FATCA itself, significantly raises the domestic costs of a law already unable to be justified on cost-benefit grounds. But offering up domestic institutions on a silver platter serves the administration's purpose, which is to trick as many countries into enforcing FATCA as possible so that Treasury doesn't have to.
Congress, having changed hands since 2010, is likely to tell the administration to go pound sand. They certainly ought to. The question is whether this will wake up foreign governments to the fact that they are being hoodwinked. The US will not burden itself the way FATCA burdens the rest of the world, no matter what the tax bureaucrats are promising. Moreover, Treasury has set up the IGA's to allow itself the power to alter the deals at any time going forward, as exposed by James Jatras, anti-FATCA lobbyist and manager of repealfatca.com.


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Jessica Palombo
Phone: (850) 487-3086 x364
Jessica Palombo got her master's degree in broadcast and digital journalism from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. While interning at WAER News in Syracuse, she was awarded the Syracuse Press Club's top prize for a radio feature story produced by a student. She interned at WAMU News and NPR's "Weekends at All Things Considered," both in Washington, D.C., before moving back to her home state of Florida. She then freelanced at WJCT News in Jacksonville before joining the staff of WFSU News full time. Before getting into radio, she was an editor, reporter and essayist for The Gainesville Sun, Skirt! Magazine and Jacksonville Magazine. When she's not reporting, Jessica enjoys acting in plays and films, cooking vegan food and discovering new music. Follow Jessica Palombo on Twitter: @JessicaPubRadio.


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As consumers spend more time on digital devices, publishers are mining the e-world for licenses that might translate into book formats. Some digital licenses—from video games to virtual worlds—can attract as many fans as film or TV properties. In addition, users tend to spend more time interacting with digital entertainment than with traditional media.
Mobile gaming apps are among the properties attracting the most buzz within the licensing community, and many casual smartphone games have spurred associated merchandise. The leading mobile property, Angry Birds, generated more than $31 million in royalties from licensed merchandise in 2011 (30% of total revenues), according to licensor Rovio, translating to more than $600 million in retail sales from 200 licensees worldwide. Rovio has not released a 2012 figure, but revenues are believed to be higher this year than last.
Publishers have been later to join the app trend than licensees in other categories. But they are starting to tie in with properties such as Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, attracted by their broad appeal and intense fan loyalty and engagement.
Starting from Scratch
Mobile apps present unusual challenges to publishers. One is that, unlike most entertainment properties, most offer very little content to adapt for book publishing, aside from the graphic look, basic character traits, and a premise.
"In most cases you have a great game, but the backstory is not fully fleshed out like a traditional licensed property," says Bob Traub, president of Established Brands Licensing. He represents Cut the Rope, which has 35 licensees and is about to sign a coloring and activity publisher.
"A lot of times these are people who haven't done [publishing] before," adds David Hedgecock, CEO of Ape Entertainment, which publishes digital and print comics tied to Pocket God, Temple Run, Squids, and Cut the Rope, and will debut Fruit Ninja in April. "These are indie studios that created characters that took off. They're either not set up for licensing or are working out the kinks. But their enthusiasm more than makes up for that. These are creative people who are intimately invested with the process."
John Leonhardt, president of Dimensional Branding Group, Temple Run's licensing agent, says app developers can be surprised by the complexity of the book publishing process, even as publishers can be challenged by how little there is to work with.
The game-focused outlook of mobile IP owners contrasts with other licensors' transmedia approach. One of Dimensional Branding's multiplatform gaming properties, Meteor Entertainment's Hawken—which launched on December 12 and has licensed Archaia for digital comics and Design Studio Press for an art book—is an example.
"Transmedia is telling a story across multiple media concurrently," says Meteor CEO Mark Long. "Each medium is separate but makes a unique contribution to the story." This vision can be difficult for casual mobile games to achieve: "only worlds that are encyclopedic in nature are appropriate," Long says.
Mobile game licensors are starting to think about media extensions. Properties such as Angry Birds and Cut the Rope have been featured in animated shorts on YouTube, and Rovio just announced plans for a 2016 feature film.
Publishing can play a role in this process. "We may not directly inform any of their animation or television or toys, but we could indirectly inform them," says Hedgecock. "They realize the comics could act as a launching point."
Wide Appeal
In May 2012, Angry Birds passed one billion downloads, according to Rovio. Other games have not reached those heights, but they still can generate impressive numbers. Temple Run, for example, has been downloaded more than 130 million times. And many mobile apps appeal to males and females alike, ages 4 to 40 and beyond. "It's interesting to be able to reach such a broad demographic group," says Traub. "These games are for everyone."
But no matter how high the numbers, there is a risk of a short lifespan. "It's very important to take advantage of app properties while they are at their peak," says Russ Elgart, v-p of sales for Kappa Books and Modern Publishing, which introduced its first Angry Birds books last spring. He also notes that Rovio is continually refreshing Angry Birds with new editions. "There are no signs of it letting up any time soon."
Determining the target market for publishing—generally narrower than for the games—can be tough. "One of the challenges is pinning down who that target market really is," says Sarah Bates, publishing director, Egmont U.K., which released its first Angry Birds books in October.
The company started with a joke book for ages six and up, followed by a search-and-find for ages eight and up. In the fall, a gift book will allow families to make their own models and bring the game to life.
Most app-based publishing to date has been focused on a few formats, including comic books, coloring and activity, and gift and novelty. "You don't have to have a deeply established story to get into an activity-related category," Traub says.
Rovio launched its global Angry Birds publishing program with in-house-produced cookbooks and doodle books, distributed by Diamond Comics in the U.S. It has since signed a number of licensees around the world. Modern's program began with two coloring and activity titles and has since expanded into several formats. "We started slowly to see how it would translate to kids' publishing," Elgart says. "Kids like the property, but you don't know how it will age down.
"Sales have far exceeded what we anticipated," he continues. "We've gotten strong placement across the board, and retailers are thrilled at the dollars these are generating, from a format they wouldn't have expected." Some stores have taken other titles in Kappa/Modern's portfolio, thanks to Angry Birds. "When you add something like Angry Birds to the strong, everyday classic licenses, it helps them all," says Elgart. "It's been a door-opener for us at a couple of retailers."
For app-based comics, digital distribution makes sense. Ape's standard rollout for its app-based titles is to launch monthly digital comics for the iOS and Android platforms first, then graphic novel collections for the trade later. "All have the ability to translate to the print medium, and [many] do ultimately translate to print," Hedgecock says. Pocket God, for example, has spurred three trade paper compilations.
In-Game Marketing
"The thing mobile and app developers have that we don't have as much in the traditional book world is the direct relationship with the consumer," says Bates. "They have a database of subscribers who are hungry for news about their favorite game." The companies' detailed usage data is also a benefit. "It helps us know which customers to go for and how to tailor the publishing to them."
In-game marketing synergies are also possible. "Pocket God led the way and showed us the power of the app in terms of the game's ability to drive fans to other things they might like," Hedgecock says. The Pocket God game contained a Gorilla Island area featuring the Ape logo, allowing the company to provide information about the comic book; Squids integrated an Ape-produced, exclusive in-app digital comic.
Meanwhile, casual mobile games have more immediacy than traditional media. "The free [Cut the Rope] app has banner ads where we can drive links to retailers," Traub says. "We can talk directly to our alpha user base and tell them what products are available and where they are available, in real time."
Publishers' interest in mobile games is part of a greater trend toward digital licenses as a way to attract children to the written word. "We're looking for new sources of IP that kids are drawn to," says David Riley, Egmont U.K.'s managing director. "In the last couple of years there's been tremendous growth and interest in digital IP. Social media, YouTube, gaming—all are sources of IP beyond the traditional sources. In the future, more publishers will be drawing on the mobile world as well."
A few of the many mobile apps available for licensing—none with publishing tie-ins to date—include Beast Farmer, Talking Friends, Where's My Water? and Doodle Jump. "The issue with any licensed property is understanding if it will make the leap into licensing from its originating platform," Riley says. "There are a number of big mobile properties in the market. The question is, are they big enough to make it outside of the mobile world?"
Penguin U.K.: Early Resident of the Realm
Penguin U.K. has acquired the rights to Kings of the Realm, a forthcoming free-to-play, massively multiplayer interactive strategy game that works across devices. An e-novel will be released day-and-date with the game's debut in spring 2013.
The property attracted the attention of Shannon Cullen, Penguin's editorial director in London, when she saw a tweet from developer Digit Game Studios, by way of a retweet from Alan Sugar, U.K. host of The Apprentice. Cullen and Michael McLoughlin, managing director, Penguin Ireland, met with Digit's team and ended up taking on global tie-in rights.
McLoughlin notes that it's unusual to get involved so early with a property. "In most cases, the book is coming in as a junior partner, but this is completely linked in with the game," he says. "We're bringing in a writer at the very early stages to really integrate the book. Digit is coming up with new characters and running them by us to see if they fit. Everything is tied in together." A print version of the e-novel, an action-adventure fantasy for teenagers and adults, will be released next summer in the U.K. and Ireland.


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There are other Villages of Discovery in Warnsdorf near Lübeck, in Zirkow on the island of Rügen, and on Pier 7 in Warnemünde.
Karl's Village of Discovery is an all-weather, year-round destination for the whole family, offering farm-themed fun in Rövershagen near Rostock on the Baltic coast. Suitable for children aged three and over.
At Karl's Village of Discovery kids can run around and play – inside and out – all day long. The park has tractor rides, a 'flying cowshed', adventure playgrounds, a children's farm, a daily animal show in the live arena, a butterfly garden with more than 200 tropical residents, a Bobby Car circuit, an inflatable bouncer, a zip wire and Cap'n Karl's playland with slides, climbing frames, a ball pit and much, much more. Visitors of all ages can put their climbing skills to the test on the indoor high ropes course, which has a choice of 14 routes across two levels. Those with a taste for heights might also want to try the flying cowshed. There's fun to be had by all the family at the village mini golf – just hire some clubs and you're off. And every day you have the chance to see strawberry soap, jam, strawberry sweets, bread, coffee and cheese being produced in the demonstration workshops. You can also get creative yourself by joining in the daily activities at the craft studio. Try your hand at modelling and painting ceramics, making candles or even shaping glass.
Karl's Village of Discovery is home to Germany's biggest farmers' market, boasting local products and much more besides. Throughout the year there are lots of other seasonal events and activities, including the strawberry harvest, the pumpkin market, the maize maze and, in winter, incredible ice sculptures and a 400m² ice rink. And it goes without saying, there is no chance of getting hungry at this rural theme park. Entry to the Village of Discovery is free, with just a small sum charged for some of the attractions. If you decide a day is not long enough, you can stay overnight in one of the 18 log cabins at Erdbärchen Camp.
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